Thursday, July 31, 2014

Redefining Epic

This blog is called Adventures in Pisgah because that is what it is about but often I wonder just what that means. What exactly is an adventure? Is there some sort of criteria or set of standards one should follow?

Sometimes I'll set out with the intent of purposely having an adventure. I'll have some sort of grand plan involving mountains and rivers and dragons and maidens that is certain not to disappoint but that isn't always the case. Sometimes the trail or trip will not be as challenging as I expected or the weather will be too good or whatever and Ill wonder if it even counts as adventure. Whatever that might be.

Other times I'll set out to not have an adventure. Sometimes it is just as good to have a nice and relaxing simple outing to the woods. But things never go always as planned and adventure looms behind every door.

Last Saturday I headed out with Terri and a few friends for what was supposed to be a nice and leisurely three mile tour of the Davidson River via river tubes. With sonic tracers from the night before's Phish concert still ringing through my head we put in just below Coontree on what couldn't have been a better summer afternoon for a lazy river float.

We are only ten minutes in when I flat on a log jam. A brand new tube too, and just my luck. But sometimes that is just the way it goes and nothing can change what already happened. I was content and resolved to walk my limp tube back to the car and the then fish while waiting for everyone else to finish the float, but Terri really wanted me to continue on so after much prodding and insistence from our friends I pretended to be convinced that sharing a tube with Terri was not only possible but also a good idea I hopped aboard with my wife.

It was an impossible distance fraught with many dangers we managed to cover. Around every bend there were either impossible rapids or not enough water to float. And only one tube for two people. It always goes to show...